LA Ghoul
by Digital Creator
Summary: Aogiri Tree has crossed the Pacific to Los Angeles in order to create the perfect artificial ghoul. The CCG in Tokyo has dispatched a team to deal with this issue. Caught in the middle of this is a medical student named Levi. Who has a short amount of time to uncover the truth, and find the help he needs.
1. Manmade

L.A. Ghoul

Chapter 1: Manmade

"Dexter, why did you have to drag me with you on these spontaneous outings of yours?" A fit young man with dark brown hair and glasses asked his blonde haired companion.

"Because Levi, if I didn't you'd never leave that rat's nest you call an apartment."

Levi let out an audible sigh as he slouches over in his car seat. "Well, Dexter, my genius happens to work better in that so-called rat's nest."

Dexter laughed, "After all these years and you have yet to change Levi. Even after all of the great advice I've given you."

Without missing a beat, Levi replied in an irritated tone saying "You said I'd look good with frosted tips during our senior year."

In his playful yet sarcastic tone Dexter defended himself stating, "Hey, I've only failed you twice, and it takes three to strike out, so in my expert opinion I still have one bat left."

Upon hearing his nettlesome friend Levi shook his head side to side in subtle irritation. "Anyways we're here bucko," the blonde haired youth exclaimed as he landed a firm pat on the back to his brown haired friend, almost knocking his glasses off of his face as the car came to a halt.

Levi stepped out of Dexter's car, and looked up at the sign that covered the entrance of the coffee shop, reading "Yami Coffee" in lit up purple words. Levi looked at Dexter with disappointment written all over his face paired with a tone of voice matching his expression saying, "Really? Another coffee shop? Don't we have those at school?"

Dexter removed his sunglasses like the suave he was, replying, "Oh little Levi, I find your lack of faith disturbing."

Dexter lead Levi into the shop taking seats for both of them at a small table, while a sweet and friendly hello could be heard coming from behind the counter. This voice compelled Levi to look towards the counter to find that what had awaited him were the meeting of eyes of a beautiful girl with had black hair dropping just past her jaw with blue tips. Catching on, Dexter saw where his friend's eyes were captured and instantly knew what was going on, so logically he threw a calculated elbow at Levi's ribs and said in his normal playful voice "You see the reason why I brought you here?"

As Levi buried his head into his hands with a blush on his face and a pain in his side he replied, "Dexter I swear if you brought me here because you're thinking with your di..."

Dexter covered Levi's mouth interrupting him with an ever-growing smirk on his face saying, "Look at all these fine baristas, and tell me that they don't give you the slightest bit of excitement."

Levi scanned the coffee shop and almost as if struck by the heaviest of epiphanies he had realized that Dexter was right. All of the female workers were very high up on the attractiveness scale, so upon falling to the inarguable logic that his genius companion Dexter had presented, he reluctantly gave in saying, "Fine, you got me, can we order? Some of us have more important things to do than to oogle at baristas."

Dexter stood up placing one hand over his heart and another on Levi's cheek as if about to recite a shakespearean monologue exclaiming "Oh my dear Levi, it doth warm my heart to hear that thou hast listened to reason, yes we may order."

Dexter placed his sunglasses back onto face in a cool, exaggerated manner with a grin that oozed confidence whilst leaning over to Levi impishly whispering, "I'm getting that barista girl that you were checking outs number."

Levi choked on a laugh from his overconfident friend. Upon gathering himself Levi smugly retorted, "If you can even manage to just get her name I'll buy you your drink."

Dexter practically jumped out of his chair as his challenge has been laid bare and the reward of the ages has been waged exclaiming, "Deal! Excuse me miss we are ready to order!"

The beautiful black haired girl wore her smile just the same as when the boys had arrived and began to walk towards their table. As she arrived she pulled out a pen from her pocket and the notebook she carried over with her, asking in her sweet tone "What will it be guys?"

Levi responded first with a blush starting to reform over his face, but trying to keep his cool he said plainly "I will just have a pour over."

The barista mouthed the order as she wrote it down, then looked over towards Dexter and asked "And for you, sir?" As if a scene in a play Dexter pulled his glasses off of his face and slyly said "I'll have an iced coffee and your name sweet cheeks."

The girl once again mouthed the order as she wrote it down, but stopped upon realizing the fact that Dexter had asked her for her name. Not only that, but through the means of saying "sweet cheeks." As if to confirm what she had already known she asked, "You want to know my name?" in a false front of confusion.

Leaning in and crossing one arm across his chest and the other aiming for the girl's hand he said in a tone of voice which he could only imagine to be comparable to James Bond himself, "Why yes beautiful, your name."

Levi, knowing where this was going hopped in the middle of this "exchange" to hopefully prevent someone from spitting in the coffee he may have to pay for, saying with a slight sigh as his blush began to grow, "Listen if you don't want to answer this clown then that's fine."

The barista let out a small chuckle. "My name is Kristi, and you two are?"

Dexter wore a victorious grin on his face and said, "I'm Dexter and that defeated sap over there that owes me a drink is Levi."

Levi was shattered in disbelief as Kristi let out a small laugh, "I'll have your drinks out in a second guys."

As soon as she was out of sight an ego-fed Dexter stood with his arms crossed and chest puffed out, stating "She can't resist me."

Upon realizing an unseen defeat a crushed Levi could only muster up a simple, "If you say so Dexter, if you say so."

The lab was cold, dark and the only sounds to be heard were the tattering of computer keys frantically being typed only to be interrupted by agonizing moans coming from those whom life had thrown aside. Alone and afraid the kidnapped scientist on the edge of exhaustion worked to please his ruthless masters in exchange for his freedom, his life that he knew deep down he very well may never have back. "Wrong again... DAMN IT ALL!," the broken scientist screamed as he threw the failure of an experimental vial against a wall.

As the glass shattered, its red fluids had begun to slither down the wall and slowly trickled onto the floor. With his exhaustion pushing him to the brink of death the human scientist fell to his knees in defeat, only to hear the once locked door in the back of the room open. A lanky man adorned with red robes decorated with the insignia of a bird, his left fist clenching his side and his right gripping his head almost as if to keep it together made his way to the scientist. With eyes as red as blood and his voice shaking as if he's about to explode the lanky man said to the scientist "You know, Mr. Smart Human you should try to pretend like you're doing good or else we'll have to eat early."

"You know that we like it when things happen good," The lanky man continued as he gripped his once clenched fist around his own neck to scratch it violently.

"I'm sorry Saul, please forgive me. I'll make more progress from here on out I promise!" the now terrified scientist scrambled to say.

Saul, with his red robes and now open hands jumped over the lab table at an incomprehensible speed placed his hand on the scientist's throat in one motion and screamed in a deep growl "Don't call us that, we are Hyde!"

The scientist was nearly paralyzed in fear upon feeling the sense of powerlessness that had overcome him with the amount of force that he had just felt firsthand. In his despair this simple man, the simple human that he was only managed to say one thing, "Sorry Hyde, please forgive me, it will never happen again."

Hyde seemingly collected himself and let the scientist go as he began to lick his hand that was placed upon the scientist's throat. "The boss wants us to report your work, and decide whether or not you're still of use to us," Hyde said as a twisted grin grew on his face whilst continuing to lick his fingers.

The scientist scurried to gather papers from one of the machines that was connected to the centrifuge and handed them to Hyde saying, "Here is the last round of tests."

Hyde snatched the paper out of his hands and scanned over it a few times before tossing them back at him in annoyance. "We don't understand these things Mr. Smart Human, tell us what they mean," Hyde demanded.

Picking the papers off of the cold damp floor the scientist began to give a summary of what the papers say "Well, in short, the artificial RC cells continue to consume the other cells after the injection until death of the host."

Hyde let out an evil laugh as he reached out to touch the captive man. Running his finger across the scientists face Hyde chuckled "The boss won't like that Mr. Smart Human, not at all, we may have to eat early."

With as much confidence and fear he had left in his life the scientist fired a shot of reason that will hopefully resonate with this inhuman monster that stood before him saying, "Well if you kill me who will continue what I've done? There aren't many hematologists that specialize in RC cells."

The ghoul's laughter stopped with these words only to be replaced by pure anger as veins as red as his eyes began to grow outwards from his sclera. The raging Hyde then screamed his deep growl again at the scientist saying, "Then get it working or you'll be food!"

Flipping like a switch as he had just before, Hyde returned to laughing manically as he exited the lab. Now, yet again, as a lamb before lions, as a human before ghouls, the scientist was alone in the cold dark, only to be accompanied by the light of a computer screen, his work and the anguished cries of those whom were slowly being devoured from the inside out. "I wished he would call me Atto instead of Mr. Smart Human. I'd like to hear someone say my name just one more time before I go," the scientist Atto quietly said to the void around him as he dropped in his single computer chair.

Dexter's car had come to a stop upon reaching the curb of Alondra Hospital with the sight of the setting sun in the distance giving off a radiant orange glow. Letting out a sigh, Levi had unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the door and paused upon seeing the sun's radiant reflection glaring off of Alondra's glass windows as he began to get out of the car. "Ow… turns out the sun hurts to look at."

"Well Levi… It's like it's bad for you to look at or something. I hear you could go blind from it. I'm not too sure though," Dexter sarcastically retorted at his oblivious friend.

"I may just be inclined to keep looking at it, just so I don't have to keep seeing that smug face of yours blondie," Levi retorted.

"Look at that! Ole Levi doth bring a sense of humor for once! Progress has been made! See what happens when I'm around?"

Hearing Dexter's cringeworthy olde English mockery again, Levi wraps his face with his free hand that is not on the door as a small smile begins to form and says, "Ole Levi doth have to go to his internship or else he shalt be in some trouble."

Dexter began to chuckle as Levi shut his door and began to wave goodbye at him saying, "Don't work too hard buddy, Lord know's you may just wind up killing yourself from it one day."

The car then began to pull away in the direction towards the sunset and out of the lot. Levi waving goodbye back at Dexter muttered to himself, "Dexter you idiot, that doesn't actually happen."

The contents of the vial that had only earlier been scattered all over the wall and floor had now dried up, and rested as all other things dead or dying had in the lab. It's once vibrant red color had turned into a crusted purple smudge over the grey walls and cold floor as the same frantic sound of computer keys tapping away filled the room. At once, the tapping of the keys had stopped as a green glow had emanated from the computer screen illuminating the room. "Yes… All of my work, all of my suffering, is now about to come to a close. I can finally leave this vile place now that I have succeeded in this prototype. No. How foolish of me, it isn't yet done. There is one last matter to attend to," Atto had muttered to himself as he dropped to his knees with the bright green words "synchronization successful" glowing from his computer screen.

With fierce determination gleaming within the doctor's worn-down eyes he stood and walked over to the machines that were in front of him. Several vials were lined up on a rack in front of the machines that had all been filled with a dark red fluid, except for one vial at the end, which was filled with the same vibrant crimson color as the failure that had now scattered the wall and floor. The doctor grabbed this vial cautiously and stared at it for a quick moment before filling it into a fresh syringe capsule, labeling it "Cain-001." "Now, everything can change."

Atto stuffed the syringe into his pants pocket and ran over to his prep table on the opposite side of the room to grab several medical tools that also had the same crimson glow on them in the form of vein-like structures. "They're not much but they'll have to do," Atto thought to himself as he placed two scalpels with these red veins inside of his lab coat's pockets.

He then removed everything from the table that he was using, tipped it over and brought it over just next to the door that had acted as his shackles binding him to his laboratory prison. Preceding that, he had hurried over to his computer that was linked to the machines and began to run everything at maximum power. While the machines were charging up to run Atto went back over to the rack which held the several other failed test vials, grabbed them and went behind the machines where the power was feeding them. "So, I break the vials against the backs of the machines, take cover as the contents drip down towards the power sockets, conduct the electricity and start a fire. That then gets the guards attention to rush in. With the smoke dulling their senses I sneak out the door they entered in and make a break for it in the ensuing chaos. This is stupid and suicidal, but I have no other choice at the moment. This better work."

Atto proceeds with his plan and takes cover behind the table he set up next to the door. Sparks begin to be heard behind the machines, following a flame that begins to erupt within the machines as the warehouse's power goes out. Within a couple of minutes footsteps can be heard rushing from behind the door as it bursts open by two men wearing the same red robes as Hyde had, but were noticeably different from him in stature. The two robed men ran into the room yelling, "What the hell did you do doctor!" and proceeded to go farther into the room searching for Atto in the blinding cloud of smoke.

They fell for it. Atto stealthily maneuvered over the table and out the door into a pitch-black hallway that began to be filled with smoke. With adrenaline pumping through his body Atto ran faster than he had ever gone in his life, until he found a door at the end of the hallway. He opened it. The smell of L.A.'s night air rushed into his lungs, a smell that he thought he may never have smelled again in his life, a smell that signified his long sought freedom. Although, instantly out of the corner of his eye another red robed man was rushing toward him with a speed that he very much knew he couldn't outrun. He was tackled to the floor by this man being told, "Like hell we'd let you escape you huma-"

The man was silenced by a glowing red scalpel that had been plunged straight into his jugular by a winded Atto. With adrenaline pumping through his veins he got up and continued to run, but had fallen on his face and noticed that his leg was broken. With the fall giving it a little bit of extra force he heard a crack come from his ribs. "Shit, damn those ghouls."

With all of the strength his adrenaline fuelled, exhausted body could muster, Atto got up and ran with every fiber of his being.

Levi ran back and forth inside the hospital's pharmacy for what felt like days, constantly filing and sending out an endless line of prescriptions. After sending out his last prescription he haphazardly looked at his watch and what he mistook as the light of heaven that was the light reflecting off of his watch, noticed that it was at last his long sought break time. He slowly made his way through the plain white halls of the hospital, down to the cafeteria, filled up a cup of coffee, warmed up his now dinner and headed over to a table. He then sat down, placed his head on the table and let out a long groaning sigh. "They must have you working like a dog in that pharmacy don't they?" said the voice of a female nurse.

Levi looked up to see that it was Shannon, whom used to be in the same program as he at school, except unlike him she had just graduated. Her normally brown hair that draped down to her shoulders was currently tied back into a ponytail. Her bright blue eyes that frequently seemed to cut down into Levi's tired soul had now met his as he said "Yeah you could say that." While he took a sip of his coffee, and then once again placed his head on his folded arms.

Shannon chuckled, saying "Don't worry Levi it does get easier, you will eventually get out of there and start seeing actual patients." As she pulled out the chair across from Levi, and touched his arm for reassurance with her other hand.

Levi sat there seemingly blowing off the comment, but that perhaps could have just been him being tired. "You're going to be a great doctor someday Levi, you just need to get through the bullshit first," Shannon said with a smile that also seemingly went unnoticed by Levi.

He finally looked back up at her with his attention moving from his hands and coffee and said "I hope you're right, because this is killing me."

The two continue to talk for a few more minutes until Shannon's pager went off. "Damn thing," She said looking down at the pager.

"I swear this thing is my life," which was followed by a small flirtatious laugh that seemed to go clear over Levi's head..

Shannon got up off the table and placed her hand on Levi's back while whispering into his ear, "I really do think you're going to great things soon Levi."

She kissed his check and walked out of the cafeteria. In his grogginess, Levi shot up a few seconds later after it hit him as to what Shannon just did as a small blush began to form on his cheeks. His moment was short lived when a paper airplane hit his head. He opened it to find a note from Shannon. It read: _Can you tell Dexter to stop texting my friend Sam? She doesn't have the heart to hurt the dork. Thanks 3 Shannon._ Levi chuckled and looked at his watch to see the time. "Shit! I'm going to be late!". He placed the note from Shannon in his lab coat and ran as fast he could back to the pharmacy.

The next few hours seemed to fly by as he went on once again filling out orders for the next day. Finally, 10 pm struck and he was free to leave this dungeon of a pharmacy that bound his young adult life day after day. Upon gathering his things, Levi left out the back door of the hospital and sat on its steps to let the cold sweet air of freedom cool him down as he rejoiced in the bliss of silence that he had not had all day. Fifteen minutes have passed and Levi decided to begin on his way back home. To his inconvenience Levi's silence had been broken as he heard rumbling coming from a nearby alley. Thinking nothing of it Levi continued on until he saw that a bleeding man in a dirtied lab coat was the one whom had caused the rumbling.

As a man that was practicing in the field of medicine, Levi had rushed over to the bleeding, limping man in hopes to help in any way he could. When he reached the man he had taken a knee next to him frantically saying as he pulled out a flashlight "Sir, I need you to open your eye."

The man smacked the flashlight out of Levi's hands and turned his head, as if it was causing him pain. "The ghouls, are they still after me?" the man said with the little bit of breath that he could muster..

"Ghouls!?," Levi shuddered as he quickly turned his head towards the empty, blackened alley.

 _No, those can't be around, the CCG have ran them away from this part of town, there's no way._ Levi had thought to himself to calm himself down. "Sir, we need to get you to the hospital, it's not far from here."

The man then seemed to calm down as a small smile began to build on his face. Struggling to continue talking the man said "So, that seems like a no then. Listen kid, I don't have long, so I'll make this shor-"

Levi had cut him off and urgently saying, "If I don't get you to the hospital now you're going to die. I'm calling 911 to come and get you now!"

The man then reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a syringe. He then quickly injected it into the leg of Levi and filled him with its contents. "Ow! What the hell did you just do?!," Levi yelled as he stumbled back from the man, pulling the syringe out of his leg, and tossing it to the ground where broke in half. The man now lying on the ground, as he had used up all of the energy he had left said to Levi in a grumbled wheezing voice, "Kid, my name is Atto, I'm a hematologist that specialized in RC cells and used to work for the CCG until I was kidnapped by a group of ghouls called Aogiri Tree. They had me run an experiment, combining two strains of RC cells to be compatible with the human body. I had completed this experiment, but could not allow the likes of Aogiri to get a hold of it, so I escaped. Not unscathed as you can see. What I injected into you was the product of this experiment, named Cain-001, and with this I bestow up on you the ability to break this twisted birdcage of a world we live in."

Levi, trying to comprehend everything that is happening before him could do nothing but stumble back farther as tears begin to form in his eyes and says, "S-so you're turning me into a ghoul?... WHAT THE HELL MAN?! I happen to enjoy living as a human! Why didn't you escape before you completed the experiment if you didn't want those Aogiri ghouls to get a hold of it?! Obviously you had the ability to! And what's with this breaking the twisted birdcage? What the hell do I even look like to you?! A main character of some ridiculous story?! I'm just some boring introverted college student trying to make it by! And now this happens… Aha… You're full of it aren't you?!"

Atto began to crack a small joyful smile as his eyes were fixed on Levi's. "I'm truly sorry kid. You seem like a good guy, and I very much do value that in a world like this. You're going to have to go through hell and back in the time to come. It won't be easy and it won't be over quickly, but you will do great things. I'm sure of it. Not that you would want to know, but there is no time left for me. I'll be dead within minutes due to internal bleeding, or the ghouls that are after me will track me down. So now you must go, before they get here," Atto struggled to say, as he knew what future would befall upon the innocent young man that sat there before him.

"You've got to be kidding me….." Levi said in denial as he began to get up with the last bit of tears falling off of his face.

"What is your name kid?"

"...Levi…...Levi Adams."

"Levi huh? That's a nice name, never forget it." Atto said as he drew his last breath and closed his eyes with a warm and happy look planted on his bloodied dying face.

"Shit….. This really sucks." Levi said as he picked up parts of the now broken syringe that was previously stabbed into him and ran off.

Two men with red glowing eyes walked up the dark messy alley that Atto was lying in. One wearing Aogiri's red robe and the other, well dressed in black slacks and a black button up. With a small bit of his hair that parted from the top of his head out of place he had flipped it back off to the side, to return it to draping down by his shaven sides. "Awwww crap man…. Mr. Fong what we do with Mr. Smart Human? He's dead!," Said Hyde standing over the dead Atto. The ghoul in the aogiri robes said to the darkly dressed Mr. Fong, walked towards the schizophrenic ghoul whose mouth was now watering over the sight of some fresh meat.

"Well shit….. If you would have fed it more, then perhaps it wouldn't have been as exhausted and died. This means your ass dipshit Hyde….. Tatara is going to be pissed," Mr. Fong says in annoyance as he takes a hit from his pen-like object and blows out a red vapour. He kicked the body once more for good measure.

Fong turned away from the now dead Atto and took another hit from his pen-like object. "Well, looks like we're back to square one." Said Fong to no one in particular.

Two men with red glowing eyes walked up the dark messy alley that Atto was lying in. One wearing Aogiri's red robe and the other was well dressed in black slacks and a black button up. With a small bit of his hair that parted from the top of his head out of place he had flipped it back off to the side, to return it to draping down by his shaven sides. "Awwww crap man…. Mr. Fong what we do with Mr. Smart Human? He's dead!," Said Hyde standing over the dead Atto.

Mr. Fong walked towards the schizophrenic ghoul whose mouth was now watering over the sight of some fresh meat while looking at the corpse that lies before them. "Well shit….. If you would have fed it more, then perhaps it wouldn't have been as exhausted and died. This means your ass dipshit Hyde….. Tatara is going to be pissed," Mr. Fong says in annoyance as he takes a hit from his pen-like object and blows out a red vapour.

Fong kicked the body once more for good measure and turned away from the now dead Atto to take another hit from his pen-like object. "Well, looks like we're back to square one." Fong mumbled to himself.

He continued to walk down the alleyway a few feet away from Atto. He paused for a moment as a faint smell of blood caressed his nose. He recognized the smell of the blood instantly. Following his nose he found the broken shards of the syringe. He picked up a larger piece and crushed it between his fingers. "That old bastard." Fong angrily said as he clenched his fist.

"Hyde!" Yelled Fong who turned back to around to face him.

"Yes, ?" said a surprised Hyde whom was seemingly intoxicated by the smell of a fresh corpse.

"Go ahead and eat that old man" Said Fong as an evil grin grew on his face.

"He's not of any use to us dead, and I'd rather not deal with that piss poor excuse of the CCG holding strings to us. As far as they know it'll just be another homeless being fed on by a ghoul," Fong said before taking another hit from his pen.

Hyde was ecstatic upon hearing the news that he had been given. "Thank you Mr. Fong! We're going to enjoy this!," He said once again switching personalities like the flip of a switch.

"Well, Mr. Atto I will admit, you've put a nice wrinkle into our plans, but we will reach our goal." Fong arrogantly said into the direction of Hyde.

"Besides…..I like doing things the hard way anyways."


	2. Mock

Chapter 2: Mock

Levi tossed and turned all night. His head was burning, his body began to ache and felt progressively weaker and weaker. In an attempt to shrug off the pain he decided to drag himself to the bathroom to throw some water on his face, and for the slightest moment, with the water dripping from the skin of his head, he could have sworn that his right eye had turned black.

"This can't be real….. I must be seeing this because of this fever. Yeah, I'm just hallucinating. No need to worry," he struggled to say to himself as he flipped the lights off and walked out of his now pitch black bathroom.

"That crazy old man didn't turn me into a ghoul. He couldn't have. It's impossible." Levi assured himself as he crawled into his sweat covered bed and attempted to sleep..

The pain in his body was relentless. His mind was racing, constantly shifting back and forth between reality and dreams. He began to see red, crimson red. This left him unsure as to whether or not this was reality or a dream. All he knew was that it felt so surreal, so vivid. So vivid that it felt completely real. He then saw somebody right in front of him being ripped to bits, ripped to the brink of death. This hardly living corpse gasped for breath as its face and upper torso were covered in blood that seeped from a massive horizontal gash in its chest that stretched from shoulder to shoulder. The gash became clear, and what appeared before Levi was everything that this human once had. It's clothes, it's skin, it's muscle, it's bone, all of it within that gash had been torn apart. "Please let me go, I didn't mean to cross you." The human painfully struggled to say as it tried to begin to crawl away with what life it had left.

Levi tried to muster out some sort of coherent response to prove that he was going to let the man go, but all he could do was begin to drool at the intoxicating aroma emitting from the now apparent man who was dying in front of him. He tried to take what he thought was a step towards him, but it didn't feel like he was walking, in fact it felt like he was almost flying. This now placed Levi directly above the man. His now uncontrollable drool landed on him and dripped down his face. Levi landed, and the man fell unconscious. The lion was now before the lamb, and all that was left was to eat..eat...eat….eat.

Jumping straight out of bed, Levi felt his heart race like heavy beats of a drum in his chest and his back aching worse than anywhere else. He moved his hands franticly all over his body, making sure his dream was in fact just a dream. Only to find that the only thing close to abnormal on him was the cold sweat that drenched his face. After calming down, he took a sip from his water bottle and returned back to his bed, hoping desperately for something better to dream about.

The following morning finally arrived and Levi still felt just as ill as the night before. Due to his sickness, he decided not to go class and just go through the PowerPoint he had missed on his own. Despite the fact that he knew that he had to rest, his inner workaholic and anxiety pushed harder. Thus compelling him to not only go through the powerpoint, but also review notes and get ahead on a few assignments. Giving into these urges he brought his laptop and books into his living room ready to get started.

Losing track of time, Levi had gotten lost in his work and realised that several hours had passed. He wasn't hungry, but he knew that he had to put something in his stomach. With that in mind he went to inspect his fridge for something that could give him a bit of a boost. Upon opening it he found that there wasn't a lot in there; just a few carry-out boxes, a pitcher of water and a Gatorade. He knew that he needed the electrolytes, so he elected to reach for the Gatorade and took a drink. To his surprise what hit his tongue was surely not Gatorade, but what tasted like rotten egg yolk and sewage excrement. He spat it out immediately and glanced at the expiration date, whilst trying to hold himself back from puking. The date printed on the top showed that it was still good. In his disbelief he reasoned to himself that it must be his body functioning differently due to his flu. Knowing that he needed the electrolytes, he took a deep breath, and drank the blue liquid. This time, it went down without any issue, so he dismissed what had just happened with a sigh of relief. "Yeah, it's gotta just be the sickness that's messing with me," Levi thought to himself in comfort.

Upon returning to his makeshift desk, his paranoia and anxiety flared up about what Atto said to him in regards to becoming a ghoul. Attempting to quell his mind and prove the man wrong, Levi decided to look up Ghoul systems and how their bodies functioned. The amount of search results he had found were astounding; everything from medical reports, to the mutterings of those who thought that the ghouls were zombies created by the government. Several search results in, Levi came upon a man named Hisashi Ogura, who is the "foremost expert" on Ghoul research. The amount of information Hisashi provided was remarkable. He explained in detail on just about everything that went into ghouls; the breakdown of their DNA, the different taste buds on their tongues, their unique hunting organs known as "Kagune." Scanning through the list of things that ghouls had and experienced on a biological level, Levi found that apart from a few common things he was in the clear. With his anxiety quelling, he figured that just to be safe it would be a good idea to get a blood test checking his RC levels.

Levi grabbed his keys, his hospital ID and began to head to the hospital he interned at. Despite his research, anxiety overpowered him the more that he thought about it. The mere thought that he was in fact now a ghoul clawed from the back of his mind harder and harder. Due to his research he now knew that ghouls were active, despite what others may think. Looking back on it, he realized that he has dealt with several cases of homeless people who were attacked by ghouls, and wound up at the hospital. He couldn't become one of those monsters could he? The thought of himself eating another human, eating Shannon…...Eating Dexter….. It terrified him, it made him sick to his stomach.

His mind had now consumed him, and without even realizing it, the time spent in his head had placed him right at the foot of the hospital. Using his ID, he entered through the back and headed straight for the lab. Upon entering, he is put at ease with who is standing there before him. It was Shannon.. Her brunette ponytail twirls over her shoulder curiously as she turned her head to see who had entered. The warm smile that began to grow on her face quickly faded as she saw the apparent look of despair on her friends face. "Hey Levi, what's wrong?," Shannon said in a concerned tone towards her out of sorts friend.

"I've just been feeling a little under the weather today and I wanted to get a blood test done to calm my nerves," Levi responded as he awkwardly seemed to avoid what was really bothering him.

"Oh, sure thing Levi. I'll do whatever I can to help out," Shannon said in a warm comforting tone.

Levi's pocket buzzed. As he pulled it out to check what it was he noticed that it was a text from Dexter saying, _Levi! My man! I'm picking you up and you can't stop me. See you in 5!_

Levi texted back, _Dexter, I'm sick today. Besides, I'm not even home right now._

"You're quite popular on a sick day," Shannon teased as she was prepping everything that was needed to draw Levi's blood.

"It's just Dexter. He want's to hang out, but I'm not exactly feeling it. Although I'm not quite sure I'm going to be able to get out of it, knowing him." Levi chuckled back while Shannon began to clean his arm where she was going to draw blood.

Levi's phone buzzed again. _I know. I already tried you at your house but you weren't there. Therefore, through my deductive prowess I have concluded that you were tending to your ever growing harem with your babe at the hospital! ;)_

 _Dexter i think you forgot the part that I'm slick._

 _Oh are you now?! I had no idea! That makes me all the more compelled to see your game in action you introverted player you!_

 _Ugh…... sick*_ "Ow!" Levi said as he was caught off guard by the needle Shannon had placed into his skin.

"You wuss. I'm finding it hard to believe that a pimp such as yourself would even wince at the small pain a simple needle brings," Shannon teased once again.

"Auto-correct is the true evil of this world."

"Of course it is." Shannon joked while pulling the needle out as the tube had finished drawing enough of Levi's blood.

Shannon began to clean off Levi's arm once again and applied a bandage over the spot where the needle had previously been placed. "All done, now I'll have the guys analyse it and I should get back to you on it in a couple of hours."

"Alright, thanks Shannon, you've been a huge help."

"Not a problem Levi. Take care." Shannon said as the sound of the opening of the same door Levi had used to come in could be heard.

"Voila! I hath arrived to whisk you away Levi, my darling! Or of course witness for myself the slick master of the game in person!" Dexter exclaimed making his grand entrance.

Shannon quickly latched onto Levi's arm affectionately and said, "Oh poor Dexter, for you do not know. The level of his moves are beyond comprehension to the lowly likes of you."

"Oh your words wound me milady, and in turn I must depart with your love whom you have wrapped in your arms! For he must meet his quota of concubines for the month." Dexter retorts as he poses theatrically with one arm crossing his heart and the other on his face.

Levi's eyes bounced back between Shannon and Dexter, while Shannon griped his arm, pulling him in closer to her body. Levi's arm quickly disappeared into her chest, causing his face to turn bright red in his uncomfortability with awkward situations. Dexter, doing his best not to laugh, pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures at Levi's expense. Playing along Shannon popped a cute smile, as opposed to Levi's face which was now a tomato.

Having his fun, Dexter returned his phone to his pocket, chuckling while doing so. "Levi's let's split, I'm sure that this beautiful young lass needs to return to work."

Shannon let go of Levi's arm and kissed him once again on his check, just to annoy Dexter, who was by his own account is the next James Dean. With Levi's face returning to its normal peach complex, he regained his composure and was unsure as to why Shannon was so hands on with him. He thought perhaps that it was because she wanted to just tease Dexter like other girls had, or at the very least that's all he could come up with.

With Levi still lost in his own mind, rationalizing what just happened and coming back out of it, he stood there, almost frozen next to Shannon who looked like she was waiting for something. Attempting to snap his embarrassed friend out of it, Dexter cleared his throat rather loud, gaining both of their attention. "Levi sweetie, let's go! I'm sure Shannon has some work she has to do." Said Dexter.

Finally snapping out of his trans, Levi looked up at Shannon. "Right, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you from your hospital duties."

Shannon chuckled, "No worries Levi, I'd certainly rather spend my time with you over the weird Doctors that work here."

A smile grew on Levi's face as he nodded in agreement. Whereas Dexter was done waiting and just pulled Levi's arm, dragging him out the lab. While walking down the hallway Dexter looked at Levi with a sinister grin stretching across his face, and said, "Be straight with me Levi, buddy, pal, you've never actually done anything with Shannon?"

A look of shock and annoyance now occupied Levi's face, with the tone in his voice reflecting the very same, "No, why does everyone ask that!?"

Dexter shrugged his shoulders and said, "No clue buddy, couldn't be that you can cut the sexual tension between you two with a knife." in a sarcastic tone while muttering the last part under his breath.

Levi was confused as to what Dexter had said, but ultimately decided to drop it, thinking it was one of Dexter's typical smart-ass remarks. The two then walked to the car in silence, with Levi still scared that the blood test would come back showing his worst fear had become a reality. That he might in fact now be a ghoul terrified him just as much as it had earlier, and even more so the more he thought about it.

The short walk to the car felt like it took hours, to Levi. "Now that you've successfully dragged me out here, what are we doing?" asked Levi.

"Going back to Yami's coffee, to see the sweet Kristi of course." Dexter confidently said with his signature smirk, while sliding his sunglasses back on to his face.

Levi face palmed himself at something so obvious and menial. "Really Dexter? I have coffee at home, and it's a hell of alot cheaper compared to your new favorite coffee shop."

Without missing a beat Dexter replied, "Well then Levi, there is one very special, particular quality that my new favorite coffee shop has, that your pitiful home brew coffee does not….. Ba….ri….stas….. Does your coffee at home come with them my dear Levi?"

Levi sat there in silence, unable to deny Dexter's ingenious reasoning, before ultimately admitting a defeated "no…"

"Precisely, my young Levi. I enjoy a good view with my coffee. For how am I to enjoy the lovely bitter taste such as coffee without the contrast of something sweet?" Dexter said in his normal theatrical self with elegance, confidence and gusto.

In response to Dexter's grand description of the, oh so euphoric way to enjoy coffee at its finest, Levi just as elegantly… face palmed.

About a half an hour later the duo entered through the closed glass doors of Yami's coffee, and much to Dexter's delight, his new favorite lady was behind the bar. He approached with the confidence of a general marching into a completely one sided battle that went completely unnoticed by Levi, who was still wrestling with the possibility of now

Dexter smacks his hand on the counter, to gain the attention of not only Kristi, but everyone in the shop. Hearing the noise Kristi dropped the Portafilter she was cleaning, "What the hell?' said Kristi looking in the direction of noise. Seeing that it was in her mind the weird theater kid and this slightly cute (in a lost child sort of way.) awkwardly sidekick.

As she walked towards the two of them, Dexter began to slick his hair back as if he was a greasier from the 1960's, as soon as that was finished he popped the collar on his leather jacket. "Hey, good looking one Iced-Vanilla Latte please."

As Kristi wrote down the order she muttered under her breathe "One common white girl."

Levi somehow heard this and let out a small chuckle, and then stepped forward to place his order. "One 16oz black coffee, and a turkey sandwich for me please."

"One wannabe hipster and an American bird." Kristi once again said with a smirk that grew even bigger on her face.

Levi let out another chuckle as a small blush built on his face. "Yes, because I'm clearly a hipster."

Sarcastically Kristi replied, "Oh, you heard that? Well either a hipster, or one of those ghoul things."

A nervous laughter left Levi's mouth as Dexter cuts in, "How did you know Levi was a ghoul?! Levi we've been had!"

"Oh, well, I guess that mean's I'm obligated to report you to the CCG then," Kristi joked as she sported a playful wink.

Levi remained silent as he took the nearest seat. A few moments passed before their orders were brought out to them, along with Dexter shooting another attempt to woo his new queen. Upon another overlooked failure, Dexter leaned over to Levi and said "Hey man….. You're cramping my style. Your shy child look is driving all babes away, and quite frankly I'm not digging it," followed by once again popping his collar.

"Why are you always in character?," Levi said with a sigh.

Flabbergasted, Dexter returns with a "Always in character?! Sir! I will have you know that in all my life I have NEVER heard of such a blasphemous insult! This is simply me, in all my glory."

"Whatever you say Dexter," Levi said with yet again another sigh as he began to bite into his sandwich.

Instantly, as his tongue touched what looked like the sandwich, a terrible sensation came over his taste buds. The taste of old dry clay, along with what seemed to be moss-covered rubber drenched his mouth. With such a foul taste occupying his mouth, he instantly spat it out and ran to the bathroom for the nearest toilet. After a moment's notice everything that had previously been in his stomach was now inside the toilet. Shortly after, knocking cold be heard coming from the door with Dexter saying "Hey man you gonna be alright?," with concern in his voice.

With Levi's gagging coming to an end he responded, "Yeah…. Perfectly fine. I told you that I wasn't feeling well after all."

"Yeah, sorry we can get going then if you want," Dexter apologized.

After about a minute Levi made his way out of the bathroom and found both Kristi and Dexter waiting for him outside the door, both with concerned expressions on their faces. "Are you okay?," Kristi said.

"Yeah, I'm fine now, was a just a bit si-," Levi said as he was stopped by the scent of an aroma unlike anything he has ever smelled before.

It was the smell of a fine cuisine, but yet somehow indescribable. "Do you guys smell that? Something smells amazing," Levi said almost in an intoxicated trans.

Dexter and Kristi paused confusedly. "I think it's coming from you Kristi, what did you have to eat? You have to tell me!," Levi continued, falling deeper into his trans.

Kristi backed away with a nervous look building on her face, "Just some pulled pork from leftovers I had…"

"Okay man, seriously, we need to get you out of here, this sickness is getting to you. Go on and head outside," Dexter said as he motioned Levi out.

Levi snapped out of it with Dexter's intrusion, "Yeah… sorry about that. I'll make my way out."

As he left, the last thing he could see out the corner of his eye was Kristi glaring daggers at him. "Smooth Levi, smooth," he said to himself shamefully as he walked out the door.

During the drive back to Levi's apartment, Dexter continued to chastise Levi over his interaction with Kristi, and quote ruining his chances with her, because a man never asks what a woman eats. While Dexter's seemly never ending tirade, Levi's phone buzzed. Looking for an escape, he saw that it was the phone call he had be dreading, it was Shannon. He answered hesitantly and said, "Hey, Shannon I'm guessing the test came back."

"Hey, Levi, yes the test came back," Shannon said in a completely nonchalant tone.

With those words reaching his ear, Levi's heart was racing, anticipating the worst. "Everything's a-okay, I mean your RC count is a little high, at 527 but that's nothing to worry about."

Levi let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks Shannon it takes a load off my mind."

"No problem sweetie, I'm glad to be of any help. I'll see you tomorrow?," she said with the slight hint of a chuckle in her voice.

"Yeah, I'll be back then."

"Okay, see you then. Love you, bye"

"What?' as the called ended leaving Levi confused but at the same time feeling better that his results came back saying that he wasn't a ghoul.

Finally free of the day's troubles and worries, Levi exits Dexter's car to continue his venture back home to his little apartment, until he begins to feel his pocket buzzing again. He pulls out his phone to see who is calling him and sees that it is a number not known to him. "Huh, I wonder what this could be. Hopefully nothing of worry, I've had enough excitement for today."

"Hello?"

"Hey this is Levi right?," a familiar feminine voice says on the other side.

"Ummm, yeah who is this?," Levi confusedly asks back.

"It's Kristi, from the coffee shop. Are you doing any better?"

Levi's gut sank as well as his face returning to the tomato it had previously been at the hospital, the moment that he heard it was Kristi. "Oh! Umm hi Kristi, yeah, I'm doing a lot better actually, thanks for asking. Also, by the way how did you get my number?... Not that I'm upset about it or anything!," Levi struggles to say as his evident nerves were getting to him.

"Your friend gave it to me and said something along the lines of _If you're looking for a good time my smooth friend there is both single and ready to mingle,_ and then he shot me a wink as he tried to moonwalk his way out," Kristi said as a small chuckle could be heard at the end.

"Ugh, dammit Dexter. I'm sorry, he does this sort of thing A LOT. I had no idea, and quite frankly I'm surprised that you're taking the time to call," Levi said as he began to calm down in his apologetic tone that he always portrayed to people after Dexter's shenanigans.

"Oh no, don't apologize. I think it's sort of funny and it gave me a giggle. Besides, I thought it'd be a good idea to check in with you to make sure you're okay after earlier."

"Well that's relieving to hear, and of course! I feel great now! It must have just been a random gag reflex or something."

"Fantastic, well, actually, it may be a bit presumptuous of me, but if you really are feeling good then did you maybe want to hang out later tonight?," Kristi said with a slight nervous tone that Levi had not yet heard.

Immediately, every ounce of Levi's nerves had returned, and left him speechless for a couple of seconds. All of his blood had seemingly collected in his face and his heart pounded almost as fast as it had been when he had his dream the night before, and with every bit of willpower Levi could gather, he replied, "Yes!... I feel great!... What do you want to do?!"

Kristi began to laugh at Levi's nervousness playfully. "It's okay, you don't have to be that scared of me. I'm not that terrifying. How does tonight at the rock house, let's say 8pm sound for you?"

"Sounds great!... See you there!" Levi mutters out, seemingly on the verge of a panic attack.

Kristi, still giggling at Levi's expense, "Okay, I'll see you there. Try not to die before you get here. Bye"

"No promises, bye," Levi managed to say as he hung up.

In a nervous wreck, it took Levi a few seconds to comprehend everything that had just happened and come back into reality. "So…. Let me get this straight…. She called me….. Because Dexter gave her my number…. And asked ME out… and I reacted like that….. This is definitely a trap….."

His phone began buzzing once again. Still being in shock Levi almost dropped it, but accidentally answered it as he tried to catch it, and reluctantly put it to his ear, to say in a very unenthusiastic tone, "Hello…. This is Levi."

"Yoooooooo Leviiiiiiii! My maaaaaaaaan. Word on the street is you got that hottie with the coffee to ask you out. Is it true?!" said the antagonizing voice of Dexter.

In complete and utter disdain Levi responded with a short and simple, "I hate you…. So much."

"What?! Holy crap it actually worked?! Oh my sweet Levi! Come quickly we have to get you ready for the ball!"

"Wait… how do you know it's so so-," Levi half got out as Dexter hung up.

"Forget about autocorrect being the true evil of this world. Dexter is darkness incarnate."

Without much of a choice Levi made his way to Dexter's house, which wasn't too far from where he was. After a short walk, Levi found himself at the door of Dexter's dorm room within the same college he attended. Upon inspecting the door before he knocked, Levi noticed that it was cracked a bit open, waiting for him to enter. "Oh no…. What horrors await me past this door? Is this where I die?," Levi muttered to himself as he pushed the door open, finding a dimly lit room with outfits prepared and hung all throughout the room as Dexter stood in the center with a sinister grin wrapped across his face.

"Yup…. I'm definitely going to die."

"Now now, Levi, no need for such cruel words. Especially when I have prepared a gallery of top line attire for you," Dexter pompously exclaimed as he turned the lights all the way on, revealing mainly costumes he's had for his theatre performances.

"So, you want me to go dressed in shakespearean garb?," Levi said with complacency.

"No, I'm just messing with you. These were lying around so I thought it would be funny. What I actually have for you is this masterpiece that I personally handcrafted for just such an occasion," Dexter playfully retorts as he picks up a folded set of clothes and hands them to Levi.

"Don't ask. Don't look. Just go put them on and come out. Only then can you give me a critique," Dexter says, cutting Levi off before he can say anything.

Levi grumbles, "Fine," as he heads towards the bathroom to get changed into what he has just been handed.

Roughly two minutes pass, until Levi exits Dexter's bathroom with grace on par with that of a man hungover. "It's… even more perfect than I imagined!" Dexter says with his voice full of glee.

Levi wore a pair of cream khakis, an almost fully buttoned up white dress shirt, with a blue and grey striped loose tie that hung down near his collarbone and a pair of brown dress shoes. Finally, accompanied by a fitted brown blazer. "I call it… the lazy professor!," Dexter yelped in an excitement that he simply could not contain.

"Dexter, I look like an idiot…"

"You look beautiful!"

"I look like I'm trying really hard to not try hard."

"Don't you understand anything about modern fashion?! That's the point! Have you not seen people lately? They all try hard to look like they're not trying hard!"

"This is stupid."

"And people like stupid! Exhibit A!," Dexter says as he motions his hands over Levi.

"I don't know why I keep you around."

"Because you need me."

"Ugh, whatever. I'll go with this, but in turn you can't pull this again. Okay?" Levi says with a sigh.

"Don't worry, with this piece not even you could screw up. She won't be able to resist you. In fact, I'm willing to wager that you'll be together until death due you part!"

"I still hate you," Levi chuckles.

"Okay kid. Where am I taking you?"

"The rock house at eight."

"You got it."

Eight o'clock strikes as Dexter pulls up to the Rock House to drop Levi off. The red neon lights of the Rock House's sign were nearly blinding to the already nervous Levi, as live rock and roll can be heard from the inside. Groups of people could be seen piling into the building by the second, making it obvious that the night life within the city was still very much alive, but just outside the door Kristi could be seen waiting. Her outfit was different from what Levi was used to seeing when she was working. She had black leggings under a pair of dark jean shorts with a black shirt whose wide collar hung to her right, revealing her shoulder. All of the black that she wore heavily expressed the blue highlights in her black hair that made her stand out from all of the other people. "Damn man…. All joking aside, I'm actually pretty jealous. For a punk girl she's gorgeous. If you screw this up I may actually have to kill you," Dexter joked.

"You're telling me man, I don't know how I'm going to do this. Oh… also I believe that the correct term is actually _scene_ ," Levi nervously joked back to his friend.

"Well look at you Levi. Correcting me on genres. There may be hope for you yet! Now…. get out there and kill it for me boss," Dexter warmly said with a smile as he kicked Levi out of his car.

"I'll do my best," Levi said as he got out of the car.

In an attempt to look cool, Dexter shot Levi a wink as he then peeled out off into the distance. Walking up to Kristi made Levi's heart pound harder and harder the closer he got to her. All sorts of thoughts raced through his mind; how is this going to work, don't screw up, be cool, be calm, what if I freeze, what if I can't make it through what i- "Peeling out huh? I know people here are edgy but damn," Kristi chuckled sarcastically.

Unlike making a fool of himself over the phone, Levi was now able to keep himself as composed as he could. Despite the butterflies that occupied his stomach, he could talk and interact relatively normally. "Well, you've seen how the guy acts on a normal basis. Now with an audience it'll only get worse," Levi joked.

A small laugh came from Kristi, "I can only imagine. So, what's up with that outfit? You look like you went out of your way to not look like you did. Almost like some professor that wants to be hip with the kids."

"Yeah, I know. This outfit was suggested by a certain someone, whom I found out to be the guru of modern fashion," Levi said smiling with a sigh.

"Yup, that makes sense. Anywho let's head on in. I'm a bit hungry and I have to show you the delicious food you're craving so badly, "Kristi teased as she began to head towards the door.

"Yeah, craving. Right," Levi sighed in agreement.

Walking through the door, Levi was immersed in a world he had never seen before. The muffled rock that could be heard outside was now blaring, as the live band played on the opposite side of the room. Everybody looked the same, yet so outlandish to Levi. He could feel the angst radiating from all of the tight black clothes people wore, and immediately felt as if he was strangely misunderstood. Ambient red lights illuminated the room to give off an almost blood colored scenery, which oddly enough made Levi began to feel hungry.

Leading the way, Kristi took Levi to a table and waved down a waiter, as she looked into one of the menus laying before them. Levi began to pick one of the menus up to look at, but was swatted away by Kristi. "Nope, you get to be surprised," Kristi said to Levi with a devious grin on her face.

Reluctant to make a bad move Levi simply complied out of his growing anxiety, "Okay then. Can I at least get a hint as to what I'm eating then?"

"It'll be a surprise, don't you trust me?" Kristi said with the same grin still being worn on her face.

Levi caught on to himself being far too passive. Kristi wouldn't like a guy who just bends at her every whim would she? No, he had to play something cool, so he dug deep to think of something cool to say, and without a moment's notice he said, "Yeah, whatever you say," as he slid back into his seat.

Kristi began to laugh at his obvious blunder in trying to play cool. "Oh yes. Acting edgy is the way to win the ladies. Keep it up it's totally working," she said with a wink and a thumbs up to Levi.

Fortunately for Levi, he was saved from having to save himself as one of the waiters approached their table. "What the hell do you want Kristi?"

The waiter couldn't have been more than a year or two older than Levi. His long shaggy black hair that draped down to his mid-torso only to be met with the little notepad that he was carrying covered up his black band shirt. Glancing from Kristi to Levi the waiter began to say in a voice slightly deeper than what he had just expressed to Kristi, "What's up kid. Names Thrash."

With an even bigger laugh, "Oh shut up Travis, who do you think that works on?" Kristi mocked.

Immediately breaking his tough guy persona, his voice cracked into what sounded his normal voice, "What the hell Kristi?! I told you my name is Thrash now! Ugh. Just give me your order."

Kristi's devious grin had now changed into a blank smile as she disregarded anything that Travis had just said. "Two of the usual, if you will, my kind prince of darkness."

Despite the joke, Travis' face turned dead serious as he shifted his glance over to Levi again. "You sure about that? My kind insect."

With the same unchanging face Kristi responded, "Positive."

"I'll be back with your food in a bit," Travis said as he turned to walk towards the kitchen.

Not knowing whether to be scared or confused, Levi muttered, "So….. what exactly was that?"

Nonchalantly Kristi said, "Oh that's just Travis. No need to worry about him. He's harmless," as she was half listening to him and the band.

"You two seem pretty chummy. Is there some history between you two?," Levi inquired to try and make some conversation.

"Yeah, that's one way to put it I suppose," Kristi said, still half listening as her grin began to return.

"Oh okay… Well, are there any particular details to be added?," Levi said, knowing that she was dodging the question to mess with him.

Looking back to Levi with her eyes blank and her smile wide, she continued the charade "No, nothing out of the ordinary between us."

Excepting his defeat, Levi returned to his sigh, "I'm not going to win am I?"

"Now you're catching on!" Kristi said, finally breaking her blank face to turn it into a laugh.

Travis made his way back to the table with two dishes that held what appeared to be a slab of raw pork. "Here you go shitster. Don't enjoy yourself too much with your new toy," Travis said with clear irritation to Kristi.

The same irritation Travis that has, now had afflicted Kristi, "Dammit Travis! I told you not to talk about that around people!"

As the two began to banter back and forth in a childlike fashion, it began to dawn on Levi what their relationship was. "Oh, you two are brother and sister?"

"PISS OFF!" both of the two siblings yelled in sync towards Levi.

Levi realized his place in this debacle and decided to just tend to the food in front of him. It looked like a slab of raw pork, but perhaps it was something else. The aroma that wafted from it had caressed Levi's nose, there was no mistaking it. It was what he had smelled coming from Kristi earlier that day. The same trans came over Levi as the pork rested on the plate. Waiting for him, taunting him, calling for him. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat, and before he knew it, Levi had devoured the meat. He needed more. His hand slowly made it's way over to the other piece that rested opposite him, but was immediately grabbed by Travis, followed by a confused "What the hell?"

"Kristi, get him out… now," Travis said to Kristi with dead seriousness as he motioned to the exit door that was just beside them.

Kristi grabbed Levi with superhuman strength and dragged him out back while Travis held the door open for her, only to close it and go back inside. In his trans, Levi was bloodthirsty for more of that meat. "More! More! Give it to me! I need it! I need mo-!"

With her free hand, Kristi muffled Levi's mouth as she dragged him farther back and into an alleyway, unseen by anyone else. She slammed him against the wall with enough force to leave a couple of cracks and bring Levi back into reality.

Levi awoke to being suspended against a wall, with a pair glowing red eyes angrily peering into his soul. "Who the hell are you…. One-eye?"


	3. Freeze

Chapter 3: Freeze

"What the hell are you?" Kristi demanded, still pinning him to the wall, now with even greater force.

"You can't be a ghoul, I saw you eat a sandwich just fine yesterday, so spit it out!"

At this point, Levi was just barely able to grab Kristi's hand, in an attempt to remove it. "I'm…... a human," Levi managed to say as a blue tentacle appeared to be forming out of Kristi's lower back.

Now, not just one, but four of those blue tentacles have sprouted from Kristi and took their aim at Levi's head. Inching them closer and closer to his face, she continued, "I've killed for a lot less than some little shit naively about to give me away, so you better explain yourself right now Levi."

His denial had finally ran its course, so realising his fate, he finally stopped struggling. His head dropped down to his chest, as tears began to run down his face. "Atto…"

"Who?"

"Atto! A man named Atto! He turned me into this! He injected me with something as I was trying to save him, and now…. I am what you see before you. A ghoul,"Levi screamed with what air he could as tears ran down his face.

"You should just kill me now. I don't have a place in this world anymore. I don't have what it takes to live in your world," Levi said in melancholic tone.

Kristi couldn't believe what she was hearing. No ghoul she knew would back down from a fight, not even one that they were loosing. Out of some forlorn sense of pity, she released Levi from her grasp and retracted her kagune. He hit the ground gasping for air, while she just stood over him trying to figure out what he was. Humans don't eat other humans. "Your smell, it's different, it's female," Kristi said as she offered him a hand and pulled him up.

"But in this town I guess anything is possible."

Levi deadpanned, "Being a ghoul is one thing, but seriously? Do I look like a girl to you?."

Kristi took a step closer to him, leaving no room between the two of them. "I'm not questioning your gender, I'm just saying that your smell is quite feminine."

Kristi came even closer to Levi, until she nearly made contact with the skin of his ear. He could practically feel the warmth of her breath as she whispered, "I don't mind that though, you smell damn good."

Levi's face became the same tomato as it has been several times throughout the day, as all of the blood he had, rushed to his face. Pulling away, she left a small kiss on his cheek, and let out a small chuckle.

"Relax will ya? Let's go back inside. Just control that hunger of yours," Kristi said still chuckling.

She spun around on her heel and headed back towards the exit of the Rock House and knocked on the door. After a few seconds passed Travis opened the door, with a confused look on his face. "You didn't kill him?" Travis grunted while glaring at Levi, who now was as white a as a ghost.

"No, he's harmless. I'm sure he isn't any kind of a problem," she replied.

Travis wasn't moved by her judgement, but he knew that Kristi wasn't one to leave someone who could expose her alive. But then, the answer clicked in his mind as to why. "I get it, you like this guy, that's why he's still alive!," Travis mocked.

"How adorable! The almighty widow is in love."

Now, as fate would have it, it was Kristi's turn to become red in the face. Although, unlike Levi, she didn't take her brother's comment lying down. Without missing a beat she kicked Travis square in the crotch.

Levi felt that kick just from watching it and reflexively moved his hands down, covering his parts out of respect. "You bitch! What the hell was that for?" Travis yelped in agony while rolling on the floor.

"Don't you dare say that I have feelings, you ass wipe!," she hissed.

As if nothing happened, Kristi then turned back to Levi, who was now fear stricken. "Let's go back in, the next band is really good," she said sweetly.

In fear of receiving the same fate, Levi just nodded and followed Kristi back inside. Travis grabbed his leg, stopping him in this tracks. "Dude trust me on this, don't screw with her. This is her in a good mood," he said as he released his leg and went back into a fetal position.

Leaving Travis to his pain, Levi returned to the interior, where the music was blaring. Upon scanning the room, he found Kristi now dancing on the floor with a drink in one hand and her phone in the other snapping pictures. "She is something else," he thought to himself.

He walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. Turning around, her face instantly lit up. The tough girl who was in the alley, ready to kill, was gone, and replaced with a girl who was seemingly as normal as anyone in their early twenties. Someone whom had pulled off a terrifying facade, hiding in plain sight as a monster in a world in which she did not belong.

As a slower song began to play Kristi put her arms around Levi to get closer and speak to him. In doing so, Levi feels an intense jolt of pain in his shoulder where Kristi had placed one of her hands. The pain, so intense it causes Levi to pass out almost instantly.

A few hours later Levi jolted awake. He was now in a bed that was not his own, in a room he had never before been in, with his hands touching all over his now bare torso in a panic. Looking around the room he saw his missing shirt across the room, on the floor, just next to a door that was semi-shut with its room illuminated. He grabs his shirt and tosses it back on the bed, only to peek inside the illuminated room just behind the semi-shut door. Upon inspection, he finds Kristi. She was sitting on the floor with nothing but her bra, shorts and leggings she had been wearing earlier, scrubbing what looks like to be his pants. Nearby, he saw her shirt hanging next to the his pants, which she was cleaning. With a sigh of relief he entered and said, "What the hell happened?"

Enthusiastically, she said, "Oh you're awake already? What didn't happen you animal?!," with a wink to follow it.

Following with even greater concern based on what she just said, "Kristi…. Seriously what happened?"

"Where do I start? You took twelve shots back to back, we came here with Travis and well, I don't even know how to describe what happened next," Kristi said as she bit her lip seductively.

"Wait a second…. You don't mean…" Levi said as terrible thoughts began to flood his once innocent mind.

"Oh yeah, you can see Travis had a good time too," Kristi said as she pointed over to Travis, who was laying on the couch, asleep with his one visible hand firmly planted on his crotch.

"What kind of twisted people are you?! I mean… You're both related aren't you?! And you dragged me into your vile acts! WHILE I WAS ASLEEP!" Levi screamed with his anxiety on the verge of sheer denial of what he is hearing.

No longer able to keep her composure, Kristi began to bust out in laughter. "Oh God! This is too much! You're too easy to mess with, Levi!," Kristi cackled on the verge of tears.

Unable to comprehend anything that was happening, Levi stood there, baffled at what horrible humor could come from this single girl. "No no Levi, I'm just messing with you. You passed out back at the rock house when I touched your back, so Travis and I just brought you here. And well….. You sort of threw up on me. Dick," Kristi said as her laughter was beginning to die down.

"Seriously, you need to man up." She continued.

"I've carried your ass twice in one night and we just met."

Levi just looked towards the ground and said a soft, "I'm sorry."

She places her hand on his cheek and mockingly says, "Don't apologize, I know all you men are actually giant babies."

Levi sarcastically replies with a, "Says the girl who refuses to acknowledge her feelings" under his breath.

Kristi suddenly stops, turns towards Levi, and unleashes her kagune. Once again, her four blue tentacles stop about an inch from his eyes. "What did you say about my feelings you pathetic little bitch?!" she savagely said with her jet black eyes and crimson iris staring murder into his soul.

Levi feels every ounce of his masculinity fade and mutters a high pitch "Nothing! I didn't say anything."

Kristi turned back into the kind girl she so often posed as in a matter of seconds. "Okay get dressed, and I'll take you home," She said with a sweet smile and retracting her kagune.

As she walked away Levi swears he heard a mocking "Ha!," coming from Travis' direction.

A few moments later Levi walked out dressed, to find Kristi waiting at the door, with a pillow in hand. "Ready to go?" Levi asked Kirsti as she readied the pillow in her hand into a throwing motion.

"Once second," She sweetly said as she threw the pillow at Travis.

"Hey, moocher! Watch my place while I take the princess home!" Kristi snarked at Travis like she had back at the Rock House.

There was no response from Travis, other than a middle finger in the air, as they walked out the door, seemly following them.

The walk back to Levi's apartment was done mostly in silence, with the only thing to be heard was the faint sounds of car horns in the distance as they navigated their way through the Los Angeles night's streets. Levi's nervousness on their journey was not subtle by any means, his hands would shift in and out of his pant pockets to rid himself of the cold sweats that seemed to be unceasing in their return. It wasn't hard for Kristi to notice how uneasy Levi was, the smell of adrenaline aerating from his pores was nothing but potent for her. "I didn't realize I made you nervous," Kristi said, breaking the silence towards Levi, who was once again removing the sweat from his hands.

"No, it's not you, it's just been a long couple of days." Replied Levi with hesitation in his words.

Kristi placed her hands into her pockets, mimicking Levi. "Wow, really? I'm offended," she stated matter of factly.

"Just messing with you. I can imagine, you just had your life flipped upside down and got thrown into another. Who knows maybe you can be some hero in an epic or something," she said with a wink.

Levi looked at her, and said with a sigh, "Hardly, the only story I'd be in is a tragedy."

Kristi let out a hard laugh, "Yeah, I can see that. You seem to have a troubled soul about you."

Levi exhaled rather loudly with yet another sigh and looked up to the dark starless sky, "Life so far hasn't been a bed of roses."

Kristi looked over at him with disappointment, "Really? I've heard better depressing stuff from Travis, I mean… Thrash."

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend your hipster palette," Levi replied without missing a beat."

"My hipster palette you say? I'll have you know I work for a former gangster rapper," Kristi stated proudly.

Levi was in shock and awe at the information he was given. "No way…. The owner of Yami Coffee is an angry former gangster rapper?"

"Yup, that he is, and even better he goes on rants about the modern rap scene." Replied Kristi with her chest now puffed out as she tilted her head to the sky heroically and firmly planted her fists on her hips.

The banter between the two continued until they reached the entrance to Levi's apartment. "And that was the story about how I was featured in a legit rap song." Kristi stated matter of factly.

Kristi looked at Levi with a look similar to the one she gave him the apartment. "Listen, I know you're new to this whole ghoul thing, but you need to know that there are ways we do things around here, that people may look the other way on."

Levi wasn't exactly sure what she meant by that, but had a vague idea that was followed by an uneasy feeling in his stomach. "What do you mean by that? You don't mean…. Killing people do you?"

Kristi shifted, she put her hand on her hip and tilted her head to motion off a sense of obviousness to Levi, "I really don't think I need to answer the obvious for you, college boy. What time are you free tomorrow? I'll just show you."

Levi couldn't fight what she had in mind, he knew that killing was wrong, who wouldn't, but this was his only means of survival and Kristi was the only ghoul that he knew could help him. With his hands crawling back into his pockets, he muttered a nervous "Okay, fine. I'm free after my internship tomorrow at the hospital. I'll text you when I'm done."

Kristi regained her sinister, yet playful smile she wore most of the night, as she raised one hand up to Levi's cheek, "Good boy. Now you go and rest. Oh, also"

She drew closer to Levi until her mouth was inches away from his ear, just as she was for the briefest moment earlier in the alley way. "Don't you lose that intoxicating aroma about you while I'm gone," she whispered as she kissed his cheek and walked away.

Levi watched as she walked away for a few seconds before saying. "I thought you were straight, but now I'm wondering."

Levi's quiet words were caught by Kristi's superhuman ghoul senses. Upon hearing this, Kristi playfully turned around with a wink and said "I'll never tell."

Levi let out a sigh as he watched Kristi walk into the darkness of the city. Heading into his apartment, he removed his blazer and placed it into his closet. After a very long night he fell onto his bed, arms spread wide and inhaling deeply, taking the last few hours in. His entire life until now he has never felt as if it was out of control. Being a college student, an intern at a hospital and now on top of that, he is now a ghoul. How was he supposed to deal with it all, how could he care for those that are now his food, how could he keep it hidden? Before getting lost even further in his mind his phone buzzed, it was Dexter. "Hey pal, are you home or are you staying at her place?"

Levi couldn't even get a word out before Dexter continued his assault, "No, how could I be so foolish. You brought her to your place didn't you you sly dog?"

Technically he wasn't wrong, but Levi digress' "No Dexter, she walked me home, because I got food poisoning at the club." Levi said, correcting Dexter.

"SHE walked YOU home?! What kind of lame ass date is that? Have I taught you nothing?!" Dexter yelled into the phone.

"Dexter, I'm well aware of that system of yours, but I can't control food poisoning. And, just so you're aware, she did kiss me, twice in fact."

"Very well then, you get a pass. But, barely! With your indescribable luck, only you could get a kiss after getting something like food poisoning." Dexter said in a defeated tone.

"Dexter, I have an early shift in the morning at the hospital, so I'd like to get some sleep," Levi said while looking at his clock to see that the time that read 1:30 am.

"4 hours of sleep" he sighed.

"Poor Levi, you'll get break one day pal," Dexter said rather confidently trailing with a laugh.

"I tell myself that every damn day my friend, but I need to get some sleep I'll talk to you later," Levi said with his exhaustion waning on his voice.

"Alright sleep well pal," Dexter said as he hung up the phone.

The next morning was a living hell for Levi. Running on four hours of sleep, accompanied by the piss poor excuse of coffee that the hospital provided, he found that the fumes he was running on were quickly fading. The worst part above all the rest was the fact that he had a bear claw laying in front of him, taunting him with the fear that he wouldn't be able to eat it. He let out a single audible gulp as Shannon took a seat next to him. "Hangover?" she said with half-assed concern.

Levi looked at Shannon. "Well, not exactly. I just had a late night," he said while staring intently at the bear claw that lay before him.

Shannon ripped off a piece of the pastry, and teased Levi's bottom lip with it. "Now open wide," she said while placing the treat on his tongue.

Levi swallowed it in an attempt to not seem weird or blow his cover. Fear and anxiety now rushed over him. After a few long seconds, relief washed out all ill feelings he had just had as its flavor was as a bear claw should be. With that newfound information he devoured the rest of the pastry in front of him almost instantly. Shannon gazed at Levi with a real concern growing on her face as he devoured three additional bear claws. "Levi, calm down, you'll throw up if you keep eating that fast," she said with her tone matching her expression.

Levi choked on the final bite of his last bear claw, for a few seconds upon hearing Shannon's words. "Yeah, don't want to do that," he said in between coughs.

"You really don't know how to slow down do you, Levi?" Said Shannon as she spun her stirrer in her coffee.

"I know how to slow down, just not at work," Levi said with a grin.

"You're going to work yourself into the ground," Replied Shannon as she still mindlessly stirred her coffee stick.

"No I won't, stress and hard work is perfectly normal," Levi said with his exhaustion returning for another wave as his phone went off.

He looked down at it and saw that it was Kristi. " _Hey good lookin, don't forget you and I have a date after your shift ;)._ " Seeing her name pop up gave Levi several mixed feelings, but ultimately left a smile planted on his face, something that didn't go unnoticed by Shannon.

Shannon's mood quickly perked up from her semi-tired trans into one of passive aggressive curiosity. The tone of her voice quickly followed suit as she snarked at Levi while now stirring her coffee stick faster than before, "Friend of yours, Levi?"

Half paying attention to Shannon, Levi responded with a lazy, "Yeah, something like that," as he was typing away on his phone.

Shannon's face was now as red as she had made Levi the previous day. Hardly holding her composure she quickly blurted out "Well I certainly hope you have a lovely rest of your day Levi, I'm going back in," as she got up and began walking away.

Being brought back into reality, Levi turned to Shannon as she was walking away and yelled, "Shannon are you okay? You seem off today?"

Shannon halted in her tracks as she turned back to Levi and after a one second delay she calmly said to him, "No Levi, I'm perfectly fine. Maybe when you're done here, Kristi can wake you back up. See you later Levi."

Levi, seemingly taking her answer at face value replies with an excited, "Okay! I hope so too! See you later!"

She then lost all of the composure she had and stormed off. Shannon knew that Levi was oblivious to things, but this was a whole new level, even for him. She couldn't be mad at him, because he didn't know what was going on, nor how she felt, especially in the sleep deprived state he is in now. If anything this frustrated her even more so, but hopefully work could take her mind off of it.

Still sitting in his seat in bewilderment, trying to figure out what happened Levi typed his confusion away to Kristi, " _Yeah, I remember. The weirdest thing just happened though. My friend saw me replying to you and then she got mad and stormed off. Did I do something wrong?_ "

About a minute later Kristi's reply buzzed on Levi's phone, which was read almost instantly, " _God you're dense. -.- You're lucky you're cute… or not, in this case ;(_ "

Levi was now as lost as Shannon was angry, replying with nothing but a simple " _What?:)_ "

The rest of the time spent at the hospital went as normal as any other day. Levi gathered what things he had and pulled out his phone to tell Kristi that he was on his way to Yami Coffee to meet her. Kristi remained silent for several minutes, until Levi walked out of the hospital's double doors when his phone buzzed from Kristi, " _Okay_ "

Levi had wished for a little more than a simple okay, perhaps even a single smile, but he was still happy that he was going to see her nonetheless. He put his phone back into his pocket and continued on his way. As he got further and further into town he found himself crossing more and more people than he normally would. It was odd to him, there weren't normally this many people out and about, especially walking, but what was truly odd was all of the terrific scents he could smell in the afternoon air as he passed more and more people.

Just ahead in the distance there was a large group of people gathered together making a huge fuss about something. Being on his way, Levi decided to stop by and see what was going on, but before he reached the mass of people a man dressed in black pants and a fitted black dress shirt bumped into his shoulder. "Watch it you little shit," the man snapped at Levi.

He appeared to be a young Chinese man not much older than he, with a rather light complexion. His sides were shaved with the top of his hair swooping over to the right side of his head, slightly hidden by the thick black glasses worn on his face. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you," Levi said nervously in response to the Chinese man's intimidation.

The man grasped Levi by his collar and brought his face close to his own. "Didn't see me? Are you blind, or stupid?" he said angrily.

Levi's anxiety was building and became obvious in his face and body as he struggled to speak. "L-look, I'm sorry. I don't want any trouble sir…," Levi cowered.

Levi's fear seemed to only further anger the man, making him start to breath a bit heavier. As the man's heavy breathing transformed into a fast paced huff and puff he stopped midway through one of his inhales. The man's anger immediately subsided, being replaced by wide-grown eyes filled with surprise and intrigue. He continued to sniff Levi even more vigorously than before, and quickly put the guise of anger back on his face and reflected it in his attitude. "You're lucky I don't have time to deal with you, you pathetic piece of trash," he said as he shoved Levi away from him and continued on his way.

Levi stumbled backwards, almost losing his balance. Regaining his composure, he thought to himself what that could have possibly been about. Why was this man so pissed off, why did he sniff him so much and so intently and why did he let him go out of the blue. Was he a ghoul like Kristi and Travis? These thoughts raced through his head as two gentlemen dressed in long grey jackets carrying briefcases walked passed him in a hurry towards where the Chinese man was walking. "The CCG? I guess that man is a ghoul, and the fact that they're on to him must mean trouble. I really lucked out that I didn't cross him anywhere else," Levi said to himself.

Shaking off what happened, Levi walked up to one of the people that were gathered in the mass. Levi tapped a man on his shoulder and asked, "Excuse me what is going on over here?"

Excitedly, the man quickly turned half way towards Levi and responded, "They're shooting a movie with Lance Hardwood over there. You know the romance, action star."

Levi had heard of movies with him in it, but hasn't ever actually seen any of them. From what he's heard Lance's movies are more of guilty pleasure films than anything else. "Oh, okay, cool. Thank you. Do you know what they're filming?" Levi asked curiously.

With the same half attention as before, the man answered, "It's Hard Vengeance 6."

Unamused, Levi thanked the man once again and continued on his way, but not without getting a view of the man that must be Lance Hardwood. Off in the distance he could see that he was a large, muscular, white man wearing torn up fitted clothes. His slicked back, wavy brown hair reached just past the back of his jaw line while the special effects make-up made him look pretty roughed up with burn marks covering his skin and dirt scattered over his face. He quickly moved out of view from Levi as they both were moving along.

It wasn't more than 20 minutes that passed until Levi found himself at the entrance of Yami Coffee, the place where no longer than 24 hours ago he had made a huge fool of himself. The place where he unknowingly found the frivolous ghoul Kristi that would be the only one to help him in his new life. Placing his hand on the door handle, he opened it up nervously and entered. "Aye! Welcome to Yami Coffee young homie!," a deep voice bellowed from behind the bar.

Looking back to see where this voice he hadn't heard before came from, Levi saw a large black man. He was well dressed with a blue dress shirt and cream slacks, covered by a white apron. Was this the man Kristi said that she worked for? Levi approached the counter to give his order and said, "I have to say, I didn't believe Kristi when she said who she worked for," trying to make light conversation to kill time.

The man leaned in towards Levi a bit in intrigue replying, "Yeah? What's so hard to believe about it?"

Levi, backing up a bit felt his anxiety begin to rise once again as it had for most of the day. He quickly replied, saying, "N-nothing! She just worded it oddly was all and I didn't expect it to be true!" in an attempt to fan the sparks that were about to burst into a roaring fire.

The man's face and voice had now grown into full-blown irritation as he planted his hands firmly on the counter. "What? A brotha can't be black and like coffee or culture? You know what this bitch stands for? It's Japanese for black coffee dog. Not white, not tan, some straight up Yami ass coffee homie!" he exclaimed at Levi's expense.

Levi knew in his mind that Yami meant dark in Japanese, but he figured that now wasn't the time to be correcting this clearly agitated and proud owner of Yami Coffee. Almost cowering now, Levi was tugging at strings, trying to figure out something to say to calm him down. "Look I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you sir! Please forgive me!"

Taking his hands off the counter, he had proceeded to cross them as his time seemed to calm down a little bit, leaving his face unchanged from the irritation. "Now aint this about a bitch. You trying to pity me now or some shit? Aye Kristi! What does this look like to you?" the man said while turning his head to face a small door to the left of him.

From behind that door Kristi's voice had made it's way through. At first this was Levi's saving grace, but what he heard quickly changed that. "Looks like some kid being a little bitch sir!" she said in compliance.

With his arms folded across his chest, the man said nothing, nor did he move a muscle, leaving Levi nothing but a dirty scowl glaring into his soul. Seemingly, the longest second of Levi's life proceeded to pass by. With not only this clearly agitated coffee shop owners gaze fixed on him, but several other people in the shop shifting their eyes towards him as well and shaking their heads in disappointment. Levi was never good with large social situations, but now that this one marked him as a villain before so many people his head was ready to explode. He couldn't think, his mouth couldn't find a way to utter any words as he stood there frozen, crumbling under the pressure. Until, Levi's shining white knight walked through the door which the man had previously looked through. Dressed in tight black jeans and a plain black tank top Kristi had appeared before her damsel in distress. "Nah, he's cool sir. He's just bad with words," she said smugly to the owner.

Taking a moment to weigh the counsel he had just been given by the lovely Kristi, he caved in and offered a hand to Levi. With instant relief, Levi came down from his near immobilizing panic attack and offered his hand as well. However, this was no mere handshake like Levi was expecting. Levi's hand was clasped with great force as he was dragged half way over the counter, finding the man's large open hand wrapped around his back giving him two solid pats. "Aye, if Kristi says you're cool, then you're cool," he said as he let Levi go.

Kristi made her way around the bar and over towards Levi while waving her hand goodbye towards her boss. Heading outside of the shop Kristi leaned over to Levi with her typical playful voice saying, "I told you."

Just being happy that this was all over, a defeated Levi said, "Yeah,... you did."

L.A.'s alleys were dark and isolated, often shrouded with shady dealings and people whom reflected the same. The warm air from the sunny California day stood stagnant only to be broken by the occasional breeze the rushed through. Blood was scattered everywhere as two CCG inspectors lie on the ground, lifeless and torn apart. After wiping the blood off of himself as much as he could, the Chinese ghoul Fong stood there with dissatisfaction at his lowly prey. "Filthy CCG pigs. These piles of trash don't even compare to swine across the river," Fong said to himself as he kicked one of the dead agents.

"Better report to the big man about my findings out here. I really hope that bastard is satisfied, I don't exactly feel like getting chewed out today," Fong said, in the lonely alley way as he pulled out his phone and began dialing.

As the connection has been made on his phone, the other side picked up and he could hear Tatara's cold and meticulous voice on the other side. "What is it Fong?"

Perking himself up to sound a little bit more polite, Fong replied "I found him sir. Atto's experiment."

"It took you long enough, Fong. Now, take care of it."

"Yeah, got it boss."

"One more thing Fong, I'm sending in someone else to take charge."

Fong bit his lip in anger, but stayed silent, waiting for his superior to finish. "I'm sending in the other half of Kanou's toy. He will take charge, after your display of incompetence of Atto's escape and the loss of the experiment. He will arrive in a week's time. Understood?"

"Understood, " Fong said hanging up the phone.

"GOD DAMMIT!" Fong screamed as he began to repeatedly stomp the inspector's bodies.

"Piece of shit Atto, and his piece of shit experiment! You better have eyes on the back of your head you little shit. I'm coming for you," Fong screamed in rage as the bodies before him had now become completely unidentifiable in their damage.

Calming down, Fong pulled out a large pen from his pocket, pressed the button on the bottom and took a hit out of it, blowing out a cloud of red smoke. The sound of a large group of people down the alley way could be heard coming his way. "Aye, it's one of those vapers esse. Let's go say wassup!" one of the men in the group said loudly, signaling the others he was with.

Fong smiled a devilish grin as he put his pen back into his pocket. "This is just what I needed to blow off some steam. I guess someone out there is looking out for me," he said, taking off his glasses that left nothing but the evil glare of two blood red eyes glowing in the darkness of the night.


End file.
